Defying Gravity
by Miss Meggie
Summary: Dr. Spencer Reid may have found his perfect match in Julie Taylor, can her protect her when the chips are down and her world crumbles? Read on to see!
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I own nothPeing just doing this for fun! Also its my first CM fic of any kind so be gentle. Please leave me a review tell me what you think!**

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_People may forget what you say and do, but they'll never forget the way you made them feel.-Maya Angelou_

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The first time he notices her she's in his philosophy class using her laptop. Chin balanced on her palm purple nails tapping out a rhythm only she can hear on her bottom lip.

Prof Macmillan calls for their attention, she types something then smiles at the screen and turns to the professor listening raptly.

The first time he speaks to her, he's getting coffee with Morgan at _The Coffee Clatch_ across from Quantico. He's toward the front of the line when he recognizes her, he must have smiled because Morgan called him on it. "You like barista girl? Pretty in that clean angelic way, ask her out."

He gapes for a second before Morgan pushes him forward, she smiles and his breath backs up into his lungs "Hi, I'm Julie welcome to the coffee clatch what can I get ya." he hears a twinge of the south in her voice, judging by the twang at the tail end of her words its mostly likely Texas.

"Breathe and speak." Morgan coaches so quietly he can barely catch what was said.

"Hi." he says for lack of not having anything better to say. She bites her bottom lip and stifles a laugh but the action isn't condescending or malicious. "Hi back."

"Just regular black coffee." "Gotcha! And you sir?" she nods to Morgan.

"Half caf Mocha latte sweetheart."

"Okay." she sets off to make their order.

"Ask her, you know you want too."

"I do but she's in my philosophy class and if she turns me down it will be awkward."

She returns with his coffee. "Sorry I'm still making yours, its my first day."

"Its alright Darlin'." he smiled at her and she blushed just a little. Spencer secretly hated when Morgan did that to women it was like the flash of white teeth, crooked tilt of his lips and glimmer in his eyes short circuited their brains it was, Spencer thought quite unfair.

" You'll never know unless you ask, is all I'm saying man you got more game than you think!" Morgan pointed out raising his eyebrows.

Julie returned with Morgan's coffee just as Spencer was sugaring his coffee.

"Hm, interesting,"

"What is?" He asked before he could stop himself.

"You. You put enough sugar in your coffee to induce a diabetic coma, yet you carry a gun, wear different colored ties according to the days of the week, spend the first ten minutes of our philosophy staring at me and pretending to take copious notes but you never ask my name."

Derek smiled. "She may just be your type, Reid."

He ignores Morgan's comment and introduces himself. "I'm Dr. Spencer Reid."

Julie smiles slowly. "Well doc, its nice to meet you, and I'd flirt more but you're clogging up my line."

"See you in class then?"

" You bet." he smiles and Morgan winks at her and they are off.

-/-

She can feel him staring, he knows she can and looks over just as he's looking away.

"Are you going to ask me out or just stare all semester?" she smirks as he blushes. The warmth in her brown eyes and the simple beauty of her clouds his brain and he can respond with is, "Uh…" she forges on determined and he's a little shocked but relived not to be making the first move.

"Ok then, I have tickets to the ballet and my friend flaked would you like to go?"

He exhales and finds his voice sounding more sure than he actually felt "Yes, I would."

-/-

Julie fascinates him, she was brave enough to ask him out but blushed easily and had a tendency tip her hair forward in order to hide, she's smart as if the fact that she's a in his advanced philosophy class isn't enough of a sign, she watches the ballet with an intensity and wonderment he rarely sees or experiences anymore.

"Did you enjoy the ballet?" he asks and gets wrapped up in watching her almost skip along beside hands in the front pockets of tight dark wash blue jeans her blonde hair bouncing with every step. She shifted her gaze to him before looking at the street before them.

"I did." she cocked her head to the side in thought "I love the ballet I'm from a fairly small town in west Texas and dancing was my passion despite the fact that it's a football obsessed town."

"Was your passion?"

"I'm to short to be a professional."

"Well that's to bad because you don't lack for grace." a soft smile played on her lips. "Thank you Spencer," he really liked the way she said his name all soft and twangy.

"So what kind of doctor are you exactly?"

"The kind who uses his brain and not his hands."

"Still, its no less noble I'd imagine. You work at Quantico right?" her brows furrow and finds how her face expresses every tiny thing she feels quite interesting.

"Yeah, I work for the behavioral analysis unit." Her bottom lip becomes trapped between her teeth and yet again he can't breathe he finds his mind taking a stroll he's not expecting and he pulls himself back into the moment. "I catch serial killers." and just like that dirty thoughts be gone.

She smiled widely. "That's bad ass, I'd never have guessed."

He found himself chuckling. "Well, its not like I scream bad ass is it?"

"No but that's ok, I've always liked people who carry themselves with unassuming confidence."

Over dinner he learns she's a vegetarian who occasionally buckles and eats fish.

"Well its not like fish have feelings at least not according to Kurt Cobain," she teases.

"Though fish respond to mechanical stimuli, there is no real way to know if they are self aware beings who have actual emotions so I think you can maintain your morals and still enjoy your shrimp fettuccini." he smiled and her mouth lifts in just one corner in a slight smile.

"So, what your passion now?" he asks.

"I love to write, give people another view on things one people might not have considered before."

"Hm, that's why you are so aware. Reporter in the making." he sipped his ice water.

"Maybe, my only real plan was to get the hell out of Dillon and then to let the chips fall, I never thought I'd miss it but I do sometimes, the predictability, continuity, simplicity of it."

"Simple is one thing I don't get a lot of either, predictability patterns, yes that's how we catch them."

"Why do you do it?"

"Because sometimes its my only challenge."

-/-

He finds himself standing at her door not wanting the night to end.

"Just so you know, if you want to see me again you're going to have to do the asking," she smiled. "I'm a southern belle even though I don't look it and already broke the cardinal rule by asking you first."

"Really?" his eye brows raise and she giggles. "Yes really my mama would kill me if she knew."

"Well, in that case how about a movie Friday, you like foreign films?"

"I do." she leans forward and kisses him softly on the mouth.

It takes him a second to catch up and kiss her back, when he does though he knows he really likes it she tastes of red wine and the chocolate strawberry torte she had for dessert.

She leans away from him smiling. "Not supposed to do that either but I figured if I was going to be breaking rules might as well throw caution to the wind and do it up right."

He smiles. "I like you Julie,"

"Good to know. Night Spencer."

"Night Julie," he watches her go inside and leaves smiling to himself when her light finally flicks on. Julie Taylor is a challenge one he's definitely up for.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I own nothing this is just for fun! This chapter is maybe three to six months after the first one. Enjoy and please review! I put the story graphic on my profile so check it out ! Thanks!-Meg**

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_The heart has reasons, reason cannot know -Pascal_

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"Julie, I don't… what's wrong with the way I dress?" Spencer almost whined.

"Well nothing I suppose but it is casual Friday and well," Julie inhaled and looked him over with a critical eye. " That isn't casual babe its…proffesor-ish"

"Huh?"

"You dress like my fifty year old lit professor honey… not that there's anything wrong with it per say its just will you trust me this once and if you don't like it you can dress however you like for casual Friday from then on?"

"Sure…" He replied not at all sure of anything.

"Do you own jeans Spence?" She asked and he felt like she was looking at him as though he were a science experiment.

-/-

He walked into the conference room of the BAU. "Sorry I'm late got side tracked what did I miss?" He looked over to Hotch for answers only to realize he was being stared at by all of them. He looked down he didn't think his attire was that different. A Georgetown University T-shirt, jeans, sneakers, his messenger bag. "What? My girlfriend did it."

"Girlfriend?" J.J. asked.

"Barista girl, alright man!" Derek smiled and Spencer tried to make sense of the slapping five thing that passed for a hand shake.

"Barista girl ? What's she like?" Emily asked.

"Pretty little blonde girl works at the coffee clatch." Morgan answered.

"Gimme a name I'll do background checks." Garcia piped up from the speaker phone.

"No need I like finding out who Julie is the non techie way Garcia, now lets get to the case."

-/-

He sat looking over a file when J.J. leaned her hip against his desk in the bull pen.

"Figure it out yet?"

"five more minutes… there is significance in the way the unsub numbers his victims…I just can't…its like a bar code or something…"

"You gonna introduce me to your girl?"

"Yeah,"

"Good we are all going to the company picnic bring her."

"If she's free I will she teaches dance to little girls at the Y on her days off from the clatch, and the school paper."

-/-

The group watched as Julie and Reid approached them talking to each other. Julie wore a blue and white striped three quarter length cardigan, a white tank top and khaki shorts aviators sitting on the top of head. She pinched off a bite of pink cotton candy popping in it her mouth. She looked intently at Reid as he told her something.

"She's not what I was expecting…at all "Emily murmured.

"What were you expecting a argyle sweater wearing girl in knee socks and horn rimmed glasses?" Morgan asked with a smirk.

"Well yeah its Reid…"

"What do you mean you've never seen the Flintstones? Everyone has seen the Flintstones." Julie told him.

"My mother thought cartoons were childish, pointless, brain rotting crap."

"You poor neglected thing you…" Julie teased as the group came into their sight sitting under a sprawling live oak.

"Oh hi guys… this is Julie, " Everyone nodded at the girl.

"Julie, that's Derek Morgan, you met him already, that's Jennifer but everyone calls her JJ. The little guy Penelope is holding is JJ's son my god son Henry… the brunette is Emily Prentiss, Aaron is playing Frisbee with his son Jack, and the guy getting a hot dog over there is David Rossi."

"Hi nice to meet you all."

-/-

A while later,

"Anybody up for a game of touch?" Derek asked.

"I'm in just don't tell my Dad…" Julie said.

"Why?" Spencer asks

"Because I tend to act like I detest football when actually I really love it I just don't like how it has a tendency to make gods of ordinary men in Dillon."

"Gods of ordinary men huh?" he replied smiling at her.

"We won state my freshman year."

Julie got up dusting of her shorts. "Can I be QB for my team?" She looked at Morgan for an answer.

"If you think you can handle it little girl."

"Oh its in my blood never underestimate my prowess."

"Well alright then Four on four girls against guys… first team to twenty one or more wins."

"Henry is our mascot you get Jack…" JJ added.

They divided off end zones and boundaries. Spencer watched as Julie waited for the snap. "No getting distracted by all the pretty." Morgan warned him and then became distracted as she stepped back and let off a perfect spiral right into Emily's hands. She shot up the field only to be stopped by Hotch.

"Where'd you learn to throw like that?" Derek asked adding a low appreciative whistle.

"Dad's a football coach it's a life requirement that I be able to throw a decent spiral. Told you not to under estimate me didn't I ?"

The game was nineteen twenty and it was the girls ball, Julie decided to go with the sprint option knowing that the only one who was close enough to take her down was Spencer and she didn't think he would. After all Spence was more a know every single stat in football and less about the contact of it kinda guy.

She faked the throw and ran through Garcia's block of Morgan. Then ran her feet eating up space. She felt arms go around her waist and she was lifted off her feet. She squealed. "I was to the trees it counts."

"You were not and don't underestimate me either Jules." Spencer set her on her feet. She turned. "Ha! We win!" he kissed her firmly on the mouth and walked away.

"Not so fast you still need one point." her competitive nature taking over.

"We're losin' light little girl gotta call it a game… next time though your on my team. Smarter to have you with me than against me." Morgan grinned at her.

-/-

They'd stopped in a books a million store for coffee. Morgan found Reid in the philosophy section.

"Something wrong Reid?" he asked taking in his friends perplexed face as he flipped through a book.

"Do you believe in love?"

"Hm, given the right person, yeah I think love exists. Why do you ask?"

"I used to think love was just chemicals produced in the brain, I mean if you can find those same chemicals in food how real can love be? But now…I'm not so sure…"

"So you are in love with Miss Julie huh? Best thing to do which is next to impossible for you don't analyze it just feel it and tell her, because its always nice to be told when you are loved."

-/-

Julie sat watching a movie as Spencer walked in. "Hey baby, how about Chinese for dinner?" he looked close at her seeing tears in her eyes. "Julie."

"This movie is sad, this guy was convicted of rape and murder and sentenced to death but he didn't really kill her, they were activists against capital punishment she had cancer and killed herself and they set it up to make it look like he was guilty to prove that the death penalty is fallible. Why do you have this movie anyway? its fuckin' depressing."

" I like it. One in seven are wrongly convicted by the way but with Dna Testing its much less common."

"You know that thing about terrifying me with your brain your doing it."

" I love you Julie." She looked at him like he'd lost his mind. "I think you inhaled to many formaldehyde fumes Spence,"

"No, I'm serious I love you, my timing was probably poor but its true."

She cocked her head smiling. "I love you too." she got up off the couch and kissed him. "Chinese sounds fine…"

"Just so you know I don't really deal with embalmed bodies, just behavior patterns usually."

Julie laughed. " Life with you is never boring Spence."

He watched her walk away in her tinkerbell pajamas. "Don't forget to order exta fortune cookies be back I gotta pee."

"okay." Spencer thought to himself it was nice to be understood and accepted and to feel safe with something other than the worlds created his books.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I own nothing don't hate me and please review!**

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_You are a teacher first, and you are a molder of men. -Tami Taylor_

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Julie handles Spencer's job well enough, she just avoids his office and tries not to look to close at the files. She never thinks murder itself will touch her but as she turns to hand someone their cinnamon latte she looks up at the tv mounted on the far wall of the shop, she's not really sure of the reason she's seeing Brian "Smash" Williams on the screen until she reads the ticker on the bottom of the screen *Dallas Cowboys Rookie Of The Year Brian "Smash" Williams found dead in his Dallas Apartment.* She gulps for air grabbing the remote from the counter she turns up the volume.

"The Dallas Police Department gave a statement saying they believe the twenty-five year old native Texan, was killed by an overzealous fan, his body was found by his girlfriend Waverly Grady…we will have more on this story at ten. I'm Laney Portmont KGPX Channel 4."

"I…I…need to go Cara cover for me." she mumbles and rushes from the shop leaving Cara to call after her. She waits for a break in traffic and crosses to the bureau with tears in her eyes. She swept through the glass door, dialing Spencer's number she wipes at the tears streaking down her face and tries to decide if she should sit down or go find him. The phone rings in her ear. "Julie, this is a pleasant surprise. You take your break early?"

He hears her whimper. "Jules,"

"I need to go home Spence,"

"Are you okay Honey?" He catches Garcia's eye from across the lunch table.

"Have you seen the news? One of my friends was killed."

"What? Where are you?"

"I'm in the lobby."

"I'm on my way down now." He heads toward the elevator bank and Garcia followed him.

He found her pacing and talking to her mother on her cell. "Yeah, okay…well I'm as good as I can be how's dad? Yeah I'm going to get the first flight out I can…I may bring Spencer…alright yeah you'll like him I…well lets just say the jury maybe out awhile on dad's part. I love you too. Bye mom." she hung up walked over and hugged him her resolve crumbling. She cried he backed up slightly to catch her eye. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"My friend Smash was found dead in his apartment today,"

"Smash as in Williams? Player for the Cowboys?" Garcia asked. "What I watch football ." she defended.

He's one of my dad's state players, a star he blew his knee out my dad helped him recover and get in at A&M before going pro. Anyway I need to get home if you can't go I-"

"I'm going." Spencer cut her off firmly.

Eric Taylor was not blessed with sons of his own flesh, blood, and bone and he's okay with it. Julie knows that. What made it okay for him are those sons, those men he raises on that field. So, she can't help but wonder how losing one of those sons will affect him.

Her Daddy, that quietly powerful man who is concise and deceive in his element, in his church and is so easily befuddled by the women in his life. A man who lets people be who they are and still guide them on their way.

"Would you like something to drink?" the flight attendant asked.

"No thank you." Julie replied.

Spencer catches her eye. "Can you tell me what the forehead wrinkles are about?"

"Don't profile me Spence, it'll piss me off."

"Not the profiler asking just your boyfriend Julie."

"Fine, its just I've been thinking and I know I'll be ok different but okay, What about his mother, sisters, my father? Brian was the man of the Williams family and my Dad he put in so much time with Brian I'm just worried how they'll all deal."

"They'll change but they will survive it Julie. Trust me I'm someone who understands catastrophic changes and how to live with them he picked up her hand intertwining their hands "Peanut?" He asked. Holding out his open bag.

Tami Taylor answered the front door. Opening it too see her daughter looking tired forehead tightly wrinkled. Leaning on a slightly built shaggy haired young man wearing black dress pants and dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

"Julie hi baby." Julie hugged her mother tightly. "How is everyone?" she murmured into Tami's shoulder. "As well as can be expected Darlin' now, introduce me."

"Oh yeah…" she lets go of Tami momentarily. "Mom this is my boyfriend Spencer Reid."

"Spencer, this is my mother Tami Taylor."

"Pleasure to meet you." Spencer said.

"Like wise Julie's told me a lot about you its nice to put a face to the name."

"Where are Dad and Gracie?"

"Your Dad is on the back patio and Gracie is watching _Cinderella _in her bedroom."

Spencer is unsure whether or not to follow behind Julie but Tami's silent nod told him too. He likes to watch Julie sometimes he can learn more from that than what ever it is she may or may not tell him.

For instance she's never said much about her dad, just that he gets a little lost in all the estrogen in their family and that he loved his boys and was the most honest man she knew.

Standing quietly on the porch with no noise to mar the moment. He watches as Julie walks over placing her hand on Eric's shoulder he turns from his hands on hips staring at nothing stance to draw Julie to him wordlessly. He's pretty sure he can hear "Sorry Daddy." muffled into Eric's shoulder. He squeezes Julie with the arm he has looped around her. "So am I sweet heart. So am I." he kisses the top of her head.

Spencer realizes that what that relationship is, is communicated in that moment. Julie's mother may be her confidant but her father is her solace in life. She is understood and accepted for exactly who she is. He's not sure how he knows it he just does and its then he understands how and why she accepts him flaws and all as easily as she does.

They feel themselves being watched now and turn.

Spencer automatically finds himself being appraised. Julie whispers something he can't quiet catch and they are striding toward him now. The introductions go well enough, but at dinner as he starts spouting off random factoids out of neverousness, he knows her mother sees it for what it is but her father can't figure him out and look a little chagrined by it all.

-/-/-/-

Spencer and Julie joined Gracie in her room to finish _Cinderella_ after dinner.

"Did you know that the earliest published account of Cinderella was in 1634 but the earliest told story dates back to first century BC when a Greek girl was bathing and a bird stole her sandal and dropped it in the kings lap the king was so taken oddness of the occurrence and the shape of the shoe he found the girl and married her."

"So, the king had a foot fetish?" Julie looked over to where he was lounged on the floor. he craned his neck back to peer over at her where she lay on the bed with Gracie.

"Yes, it would appear that way. Ohhh, the Fairy Godmother my favorite part. even though its inaccurately portrayed. It was originally based on a Chinese maiden's mother who is reincarnated into a magical fish when the fish dies the girl uses the bones in her dress."

"Eww.." Gracie said.

"Does he ever give you a headache?" Gracie whispered to her sister.

-/-/-/-

"Where'd Julie find this one Tami?" Eric whispered as they climbed into bed. He ran a hand through his already mussed dark hair. Tami almost smiled at the worried expression that mirrored Julie's so well. Julie may look like her and have her mannerisms but sometimes she was so much her father's daughter it was frightening.

"He's a little different I'll give you that but he's sweet and seems to love Julie very much. He came with her, faced us so she wouldn't have to do a very difficult thing all alone. I know that counts for something with you."

"Yeah, it does but he hunts down serial killers that scares me and he some how convinced Gracie not to eat fish because she'd be eating her fairy god mother or some mumbo jumbo." Tami Laughed. "Really? Ok so he's a lot different. Still he loves Jules."

"Yeah well I'm startin' to miss Saracen."

-/-/-/-

Spencer fixed his tie in the mirror above the bureau as Julie tried clasping her cross necklace she wore a simple black dress and heels. Spencer wore a grey suit white shirt and black tie.

"Here babe let me." he murmured. Moving behind her to fix her jewelry she raised her hair off her neck. "Ready to do this?" he asked closing the clasp.

She caught his eye in the mirror " As I'll ever be." looping his arm around her shoulders he leaned in to kiss her and was interrupted by someone impatiently clearing their throat. "You two ready?" Eric asked from the bedroom doorway.

"Be right there Dad give us five kay?" Julie smiled for good measure. He nodded and was gone.

"I don't think he likes me Jules."

" No Spence, he likes you fine he just has really good Julie's about to do something sexual radar." She kissed him. "Mama! I can't find my dress shoes." Gracie hollered.

"I got it Mom." Julie shouted and stepped around him . "Grace did you check under your bed?"

-/-/-/-

Spencer left the funeral feeling as though he knew something of who Brian "Smash." Williams was. A smart, talented, funny caring, and bright young man whose light was too soon extinguished.

-/-/-/-

Two Months later:

"It appears the Williams murder was serial, Mathew James Saracen was found by the high school grounds keeper of West Dillon High School on the fifty yard line of Hermann Field. As you can see his throat was also slashed."

"Oh god…" Penelope murmured

"What baby girl?" Morgan asked.

"Please tell me you did not just say Matthew Saracen."

"Why?"

"He's the High School sweet heart of our very own Julie Taylor."


End file.
